Desertion
by k-shanna
Summary: Post X3, ROMY, T rating for later, explores Rogue's story after The Last Stand...how does she become the strong X-woman we know and love from the comics/cartoon? RxR please. DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING XMEN, MOVIE OR OTHERWISE.
1. Chapter 1

The brunette scanned the wide expanse of desert beneath her. This was not what she had been expecting. They had said California and her thoughts had strayed to cities, people, vineyards, orchards and beaches. Not this barren expanse of dirt and dying plant life. Not the heat either. Her uniform was stifling in its dark color and think leather life materials. She was sure she'd gotten sand in her eyes as she flew against the moderately strong winds of the valley.

Why would he be here? She questioned herself. But after two months of searching, this was the best lead they'd followed yet. It had been that long since he'd contacted them on the emergency one way communication device he'd been sent with. No one had heard a thing since and a few had begun to give up hope. She knew better though. The Logan in her head told her that while Death Valley might totally suck, it wouldn't kill him. She wondered what could be out there that would keep him from reaching them though.

Glancing back, she was able to make out the Blackbird landing in a small canyon. This must be it, she thought. She leaned down toward the ground mid flight, effectively allowing her to plummet to a graceful landing in the dirt beside the plane.

Brushing herself off hastily, she made her way to the team assembling in the glaring sunlight. Everyone else was pulling at their X uniforms while wearing sour faces that told as much of their dislike for the mission as their physical discomfort.

Scott was briefing the team one last time for this scouring mission. "I know we're feeling the pressure since this is our last current lead, but we don't need to be finding trouble or taking unnecessary risks. And yes Pyro, I get to decide what risks are and are not necessary. Everyone will report back at hour intervals and be sure to stay well hydrated out here. Rogue, there are many mines and caves, if you could check those out, fly on down, see what's there. Alright team, let's get the Wolverine and the whole team back safely."

Rogue lifted off the ground slightly before Scott's gloved hand grabbed her arm and compelled her back to the ground.

"I mean it Rogue. Nothing unnecessary. If you need help, you call for it."

Rogue nodded and saw the desperation in his eyes. They were family, she more like his sister than anything else now. She knew it would break him to lose more of his family. She wouldn't be able to handle it if he disappeared again himself.

She allowed herself a moment to remember how they had found him in a hospital in Sacramento with no recollection of himself or his life. A nurse had made sure his visor stayed on and had even tried to explain his mutation to him, being a mutant herself.

They had found him just as a recovered Magneto had. They knew they were both on the trail and Storm had made sure they arrived just before the metal maniac and his newly restored team. Wolverine had been there that day and it had all taken place just after she herself had returned, changed and recovered.

The Rogue shook her head and brought herself back to the mission before them. It wasn't abnormal for Logan to leave. It had become tradition and even a regular routine. Every summer, he'd take off for a month. This time it had been two months and no word. They had begun searching and making underground contacts two weeks ago when that final communication had come in. Whatever was going on, it was making her nervous and the Rogue didn't get nervous anymore. They had a feeling that Wolverine was not the only mutant involuntarily involved.

Flying across the desert valleys, Rogue swooped down here and there to get closer looks at abandoned shacks and rusted stripped cars from who knows when. The movements helped to ease a bit of the tension she was holding onto that marked her stress level. She couldn't give up on Logan like others seemed to have already. Another mutant lost to the ever worsening world they now lived in. The trail was cold from the start and of the few leads they had, this was the last. Just a year earlier she'd lost her real family in Mississippi. Her heart skipped a beat as her thoughts took their own flight. Still bitter, she'd pushed much of those experiences beyond her normal thoughts so she didn't have to deal. It was easier than recalling the cruel way her family had reacted to her return and subsequent relapse. It was too fresh, too new even still and the people she was with now were her real family, even if a few were missing right then.

After the cure and the battle, Rogue had spent a total of two days at the mansion. During that time, her eyes had been opened as she finally saw Bobby's underlying affections for Kitty. Part of her understood. They were all young and love came and went. It was nothing so deep as to cry about. So, feeling out of place and a bit empty without her powers, she packed and bought her bus ticket to go home. She phoned ahead and everyone seemed welcoming at home. Before she'd stepped out of the door with her bags and the cab waiting outside, Logan had called her name. He'd called her Marie and she supposed she still was then, as messed up in the head as she already was.

Marie had turned and smiled genuinely at her friend and protector. "I know you already understand why I'm leaving. Plus, I'm young Logan and at home in Mississippi, maybe I can still be that way for a little while longer."

The Wolverine had grunted and paused before responding. "Be careful kid. Remember you're older inside already than you're realizing right now. Remember the family you're so set on going back home to, turned you out when your powers showed. I don't trust 'em and I don't trust the cure. So be careful and remember you have family and a home when you need."

There was an understanding there and Rogue nodded before leaving without a hug. She was beyond needing him like that. She'd chosen her own path and following it meant leaving the old one behind. She'd wondered then if she'd ever see him or the mansion again. In the back of her mind, a twitching told her that she'd be back. Even still, she'd had to leave them and she had taken that early train right back to her small town Mississippi home and her parents' southern two story.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed Chapter 1. This may be a slightly slow process, but I intend to complete this story fully so please keep checking for updates as they will be coming. Please review and all input is welcome.

As always, I still own nothing but I appreciate the opportunity to let my imagination run.

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Rogue spotted the first old mine out of the corner of her eye. Swooping down, she reached in just a second in a whirl of dust and wind. Dusting herself off habitually, she peered into the darkened cavern and wondered just how deep the thing went. She pulled her flashlight from her belt and scanned the mine. It looked blocked about forty feet in and as she progressed, she realized the accuracy in her first assessment. Sighing, she left the cavern and took to the skies again. It wasn't long before another dark hole in the hills caught her eyes. One after another, they turned out to be empty and caved in. Each was old and abandoned and she was surprised at just how many there were spread out over the desert, leaving the marks of another time and a very different American lifestyle.

Landing outside the good sized cavern, she lit her flashlight and noticed the tunnel went further than her beam. She followed the path of dirt and old wood beams until the air grew musty and stale. Turning to see her exit, all she could see was a dot of sunlight. The darkness pulled at her and in her anxiety, she flipped off the flashlight and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

Her parents had been there to greet her as she stepped off the train that evening. She'd been tired and travel wary but excited to see them smiling. The little voice in the back of her head had been warning her of impending anguish all day. She hadn't been able to tell if it was Magneto or Logan, or maybe they'd both been grumbling. It didn't matter anymore at that point. She was home after two years and a newly achieved high school diploma. After the greetings and welcome homes, she had returned to the house she grew up in. The people she lived with were different than she had remembered them. Changed, aged, a bit more cynical and reproaching perhaps. She could not put her finger on it but she kept her emotional distance all the same.

They didn't understand her closed off nature. They assumed everything would go back to the way it had been. After just a few days, it was obvious that things in that house would never be the same. She still wore her gloves on occasion, more out of habit than any concern really. Marie trusted the cure and trusted that she would be able to return to a normal human life. Even as she thought that, enrolled in the local community college and attempted to just be Marie again, she looked at the world so differently now.

As her father would watch documentaries of wars he had not been alive for, Marie would scoff at certain comments and 'facts'. Her father would turn to her and ask her if she was alright. She would simply shake her head with a heavy sadness. "Their reenactment right there…the General would never leave so many troops unattended." He would cock his head and tell her that these were experts, historians, people who had researched the whole war, every event and detail. These were facts, the way things really happened. She should listen and pay attention to learn.

The first time they had come to such an impasse, she felt a tingling all over her body like her skin was beginning to crawl. She pulled her uncovered hands away from the chair arms and tightly into her lap. Suddenly, she was speaking and it was her voice and her lips moving, but the words were all Magneto's, rather more so they were the words of Eric Lensherr. Her father's eyes grew wide and his voice weak as he spoke her name questioningly. Before she knew it, Marie had stood and stalked out of the room, grunting under her breath that her father was an indescribably dense hypocritical man.

The next day, her father had hardly spoken to her and her mother had attempted to ask her about the incident but Marie had only confused and frightened her as she gave a feeble and watered down explanation of her situation and mindset. Marie had tried to go about the next few days like normal, but the people in her mind had become part of her and every so often, she would find herself pulling on their memories and opinions. She had not realized how integrated they had become and how much it had changed her. Could she still be Marie in Mississippi? She wondered if perhaps Logan had been right in warning her. However, at the end of the week, her family had seemed back to normal and she let her guard down.

That had been her first mistake. She began trusting her family and ignoring her instincts more fully. A few days into being comfortable at home, she'd begun feeling her skin tingling again, more constantly now. The news told of cured mutants' powers returning. It was all much more quickly than had been expected, even by the scientific mutant community. Her mother switched channels when these stories came on and her father left the room. Marie went for a walk without her gloves on in the summer Mississippi heat.

When she returned, her mother greeted the gloveless Marie with a hug. Confused, Marie held her hand and smiled. She put her newly purchased school books down and began to sit with her mom as her skin began tingling again. As she tried to pull her hands out of her mother's grasp, the pull began and her mother's shrieks filled the room. As she passed out on the floor, Marie's mind went haywire as it tried to take in her mother's thoughts. Just as she fell to the floor beside her mother, it clicked in her mind. Her mother's sad distant look, the black van that had recently been in their neighborhood, her father's hushed phone calls. It had been expected that her powers would return and the plan had already been set into motion. Only…only there was more to it than they had realized. Being naïve and human in the situation, her parents had not realized the full extent of the situation. Even if they had, Rogue doubted they would have cared.

Rogue drew in a deep breathe and flicked back on her flashlight again. That had been the day she began to truly be Rogue; the day that innocent Marie had begun to fade away. Now Rogue drew herself from dark memories to follow the yellow light of her flashlight down the rest of the cold tunnel. She paused, wondering when the temperature had changed so drastically inside this stone mine. Noticing a drop a few feet in front of her, she pointed the beam of sickly light down the shaft. Rogue lifted off the ground and slowly started drifting down the vertical tunnel. As she continued, the air around her started to become less stale and a vague wind stirred upward from below her. Her light still reached lamely into the dark, hitting nothing to light up. She slowed her progress, uneasiness hit her and she knew her increased sensitive instincts were warning her.

As the dot of green light came into view, she quickly flicked off her light and stopped her airborne descent. As nothing else happened for a few minutes, she continued slowly flying down the shaft, the dot turning into a large fuzzy green aura ahead of her. As she neared the light, she saw a crisscross pattern of green lasers diagonally marking the rest of the way down the tunnel. She could see at the end of the tunnel, a round porthole with a steering wheel looking circular lock. She reached into her belt and pulled out a thin computer with a camera lens sleekly integrated into the side. Taking quick snapshots of the lock and its strange key hole, she made sure to track the angles and amounts of laser beams stretching across in front of her. Hopefully, their computers back at the mansion would be able to work out the pattern and perhaps the lock's key as well. She stretched upwards and gladly made her ascent back to the main tunnel.

As she moved upward, she noticed that the walls were coated in green as well. Had she really been so caught up in memories that she had not seen these tiny lasers on the way down? If anything touched these walls, whoever maintained the lasers would know about it immediately she imagined. She slowed her ascent then in case the air movement could trigger the alarms as well. It would indeed make it impossible for anyone to climb down the shaft, though her flight had made it possible for her safe descent. Anyone else may not have been so lucky as to get out undetected.

As she reached the main tunnel, she flipped her flashlight back on and pressed her earpiece. "Cyclops, this is Rogue, can you hear me?" She knew she was deep inside the mountain, but she wasn't sure how deep or how far their Comm. Systems would reach.

After a faint crackling, she heard their leader's voice ring clear. "Rogue, you're a little faint but I hear you. Report."

She smiled at his quick tone and oh so Scott manner. "I'm marking the tunnel I'm in on my comp. I think I've found something but the tunnel is locked and alarmed. I'm sending the information to the Blackbird's systems now. Everything else has been a dud, this is my last run here but I think it's what we've been looking for."

She could almost see Scott's inhalation at her words and when he responded, she understood the urgency and tension in his voice. "Good work Rogue. I'm calling back the rest of the team. It appears Shadowcat and Nightcrawler also found an entrance not far from your location. Their information seems to match yours so far. Return to the Blackbird and we will regroup at headquarters."

"Understood. And Cyc…"

"Yeah Rogue?" Her leader questioned with a tint of concern in his business voice.

"I think White Queen would be helpful on this. My senses were going crazy back there and maybe she can pull something from those and see what I'm missing. There's something down there and it makes me nervous." Her voice was firm but they both understood her fears. They were the fears they all shared now as their seemingly safe and calm world was more quickly turning from hectic to dangerous with each passing day.

"Agreed. Let's get out of here and see what we can come up with."

As Cyclops' message rang in her ears, she made her way through the dark tunnel and squinted into the glaring sunlight as she reached the fresh desert air. Her senses hadn't been on a fluke down there. Someone had put out a vibe of danger to warn them off. She could feel it deep inside and it was so familiar. As she whipped through the sand blasted wind and heat to make her way back to the now far away Blackbird, her fears seemed confirmed that the Wolverine was not the only mutant she needed to get safely away from that hidden facility. There was another who needed her help, whether he wanted it or not.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Thank you to those of you who have reviewed this story so far. I'm glad that you are enjoying it. This is a short, quick New Year's update. I was going to make it longer, but it ended so perfectly. As I promised, there will be more to come. Please let me know your thoughts after you read!

I own nothing X-Men in any way. I just tell their stories the way they play out in my imagination.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! - Happy New Year!

From you author living in Hawai'i!

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Logan twisted in the glass cage that trapped him. He could only see a few feet on any side of the structure but knew it was pointless to try anything further. He'd spent his first days, who knew how many had passed by now, trying to destroy the room and its surroundings to no avail. In fact, he'd only succeeded in seriously injuring himself to the point that he had passed out just as the medical technicians had opened the small door that led to him. The next thing he'd known, he'd been strapped to a hospital bed receiving medical care he generally didn't need. Only this time, he was fairly sure he would have died without it, especially considering his claws had been out and his knuckles were opened and covered in blood.

Now, the Wolverine watched as best he could from behind the glass. His senses were off too in this place so he had to rely on his basic human instincts and abilities. They were honed but not nearly what they should have been, what was natural to the animalistic man. He had found that there were these glass rooms all up and down the hallway and they were spaced evenly about five feet apart, just far enough so that a vague outline of the neighboring occupant was visible but nothing more. The guards would come once every 12 hours or so and give them their shot. As he had grown accustomed to the routine, he had realized that the hour just before the next shot, his senses would begin to sharpen. At the prick of the needle, however, they would dull back to the lowliest he's ever felt them.

He had hoped for a few weeks that the emergency call he had let out just as he was attacked would have reached the X-Men and that they would be searching. Now, he hoped they would not risk this place just to save him. Even he, the lone Wolverine, was shriveling up inside with the solitary confinement. That was only the beginning and he knew that the others may not have the tolerance he did, having been used similarly before.

No, now Logan knew his only way out was through his own actions. So he waited and watched, like the hunter he was. He knew which of his captors was his true prey and he knew he would go through the rest of his crew to get to him. He just had to figure out how to get out to do so.

From what he figured, the injections worked on physical mutations but not all psychic ones. He had fleetingly heard voices in his head from what he assumed were other captives. They disappeared quickly though as if there was a shield up around their area. That would explain why his screams to Emma had gone unheard. He was no surprised. Whoever had taken them knew quite a bit about mutations and mutants he could tell.

The Wolverine felt a pull at his mind and instinctively sniffed the air around him even though logically he knew it would tell him nothing. He had felt this same warning run through the air for what he assumed was days now. It wasn't telepathic, he could tell it wasn't that clear. It was something different, something that gave him the feeling he should turn around and run, though it was clearly something being projected outwards. He cocked his head and attempted to look more carefully out of his glass walls. His white jumpsuit blended into the surroundings he knew, so no one inside here could be directly sending him a message at all as they would not see him or know who he was.

Grunting, he felt his senses get a little stronger and he concentrated on using it to his advantage as much as possible before his captors would return to his cell and tranquilize him before dragging him off to the laboratory rooms. Moving closer to the wall, he squinted at the cell beside him. He saw a faint outline that slowly grew more defined as his eyesight began to sharpen again. It was laying still on the single cot along the edge of the room. Narrowing his eyes, he could tell the form was sleeping as the body moved with slow, deep breaths.

Turning, he went the few feet to the other side of his cage and narrowed his eyes quickly to peer into the other glass room. The form appeared to be male and sitting facing him as well. The Wolverine growled and wondered how the other captive knew he was looking at him. Then the wave of caution spread over his body again as the man looked up at his large counterpart and opened his eyes.

Logan gave a start as slight familiarity washed over him. He had never seen those eyes but he had definitely heard about them. The red glowing could be none other than the diablo himself and Logan could only smirk as the sound of patterened footsteps came from down the hall. They were getting smarter now, understanding how long it took for their syrum to wear off. That was okay though. He was getting smarter too, and now he knew he would have an ally when the time came. The day was getting closer when the Wolverine and Gambit would escape.


	4. Chapter 4

I own nothing X-Men or X-Men Movie related. I gain nothing but the joy of writing and developing these crazy characters out of this.

Please enjoy, read and review! Thanks to those who already have…I hope this continues to live up to your expectations.

Returning to the mansion, now knowing where their friend and teammate was was difficult for the whole team. They had put so much into the search, each of them needing to know their world had not yet come to abruptly missing people that would never be found. Make that missing mutants. As they landed, everyone was worn out from the day, but anxious to get back to the desert to rescue the Wolverine and whoever else they could from the deep, well guarded prison.

The debriefing was short with a promise of another planning session in a few hours, after the team had gotten some rest. Until then, Ororo and Scott met to map out the area and determine entry points. Rogue went to the kitchen for a snack before she was going to head to her room to get the sleep she would need for the coming day. On her way up to the main floor, she ran into Emma Frost, the White Queen and began to fill her in on the day's progression.

"Ah know you're tryin' ta get into mah head. Jus' go ahead and tell me what it was Ah felt out there cuz it was awfully familiar Emma." She turned to the White Queen as they stood in the hallway leading to the kitchen. The white haired, pale woman in front of her nodded stiffly and closed her eyes. Rogue could see her eyes moving back and forth under her eyelids, as if she were actively dreaming. Briefly, she wondered if that was what Emma's telepathic powers felt like, walking through others' dreams.

When Emma's eyes opened again, Rogue's answer was staring back at her. Even still, she needed the words to confirm her fears and her hopes. Nodding, Emma opened her mouth and gave the Rogue the words she needed to complete her incentive for the mission's success. "The Wolverine is not alone Rogue. You are correct; the Diablo Blanc is there and warns you of danger from his captivity." The words were almost soft and kind coming from the usually cold woman. The brunette in front of her nodded, understanding more than Emma knew.

Then she quietly thanked her friend and turned swiftly away and on to her destination. As she gracefully moved about the kitchen, preparing a quick snack, her mind was far from the task at hand. She paused as she leaned back against the cool kitchen counter, sandwich in hand and only a single bite eaten as yet. Closing her eyes, she saw him holding out his hand to her as she lay cold on the white floor in the large glass room. Her hand bare, his gloved as always, he pulled her to her feet and began to pull her from the nightmare she'd been left to. With a quick glance behind her, she winced at the sight in the room. She had not started there alone, though she was leaving the room without life as she now fled. A voice started her heart and her legs moving once again, "Chere…"

The kitchen door slammed open loudly and Rogue's eyes snapped wide, tearing herself from the memories and the image of the man who had saved her in so many ways that day. Her teammates poured into the room and voices planning, plotting and analyzing came to her over the thoughts racing through her own mind. She knew she would have to tell them now what the place was. Things she had not told anyone at the mansion entirely as she was now Rogue completely, and could not dwell on or share the pains in her life. Later, she comforted herself. For now, let them make their plans. It would be useful to them all to have as many ideas as possible about how to accomplish their large goal. Later, at the briefing, she would explain as much as she needed to in order to get them all through this without further injury or capture. Until then, she would rest and prepare.

Finishing her sandwich, she made her way through the small talk in the room. Complaints were common about the desert weather and why Storm couldn't have helped the team out on that end, maybe bringing in some rain or cool winds to ease the sweat drenched afternoon. Tactics were thrown out as to how to enter the underground installation as well as guesses as to the purpose of the captivity and even the captors' identities. The Rogue listened to their ideas but kept mostly silent. The others were so caught up in their discussions; they seemed not to notice her distance. Shuddering, she said her goodnights and left the now crowded room.

The walk to her room was silent but full of thoughts and emotions. Trying to clear her head enough for sleep would be a daunting task this evening she knew. As she readied herself for bed, the Rogue tried to breathe deeply to quell her anxiety for her two friends and whoever else might be stuck down there with them. Opening her window doors, she stepped out into the night air at her balcony's edge. She leaned her elbows on the railing, putting her head in the palms of her now ungloved hands. Below her, Scott walked across the trim lawn towards their cemetery gardens. The night before every mission or battle, the man would visit the gravestones of his passed loved ones. For strength and clarity, he would spend about a half hour or so there. It was common now and no one would generally bother their leader then. However, recently, someone had taken to meeting him as he returned and Rogue noticed that this time would be no different. The Ice Queen's brilliant white hair and pale skin lit up against the dark night. The other woman walked smoothly to the bench at the edge of the tree line that separated the mansion's main grounds from the X-Men's fallen friends. Seating herself, she looked to the same clear sky Rogue was now peering at from her own balcony. Not a word or look passed between the two women, yet they both knew each other was there.

Turning, Rogue shut her curtained window doors and slid into her bed. Staring at the ceiling now, her mind spun at the thought of her friends together in that mock prison. Would they find each other even though they had never met? She knew the answer was undoubtedly no. The way those places were set up, one never knew where they themselves were, and much less whom or how many others were also there at any given time. No, unless they were able to get to them on their mission, her older brother wannabe Logan would never actually meet the man who had last saved her life.

Rogue closed her eyes and rolled to one side, pulling the covers a little closer around her body. She'd arrived back in New York a bit battered but she knew she would not break down more than she already had. She'd already worked through that trauma and while it would always be a part of her, the mansion had offered her once again a fresh start. She had taken a cab from the airport and simply stood at the mansion's gates. After a moment's pause, she smiled a small smile and lifted herself up and over the gate, swiftly flying to the front doors. Dropping her bags, she rang the doorbell just as the door swung open to reveal the grisly man she had missed. When her eyes met his, he was taken aback by their vibrant green and their weary expression. He saw himself there, but not through his own memories. No, the Rogue had her own demons now.

"Marie…" the Wolverine had started in a deep voice. The woman before him shook her head with a slow, haunted smile.

"No Logan, not Marie anymore. Please just call me Rogue. It's okay." He looked ready to protest, to declare that she would always be Marie, that he would make sure of it. Yet, the tilt of her head, the small almost imperceptible negative shake, and her peering past him towards the others gathering behind him all stopped him from saying another word.

The questions had bombarded her. She'd known they would and she'd considered it a small price to pay in order to be home. Details she was scarce on. It wasn't for everyone, or anyone really, to know all that she had gone through. Those pains had already been shared with too many and these people who loved her did not need to suffer with her through those memories. So she was vague when it counted and led the questions to more innocent topics. She skipped briefly over her newly acquisitioned powers and how they had come about, but she spoke in depth about the joys of flying and how cool her brightened green eyes were. The advantage was all hers in the manipulation of the conversation as she took the best tips from everyone in her head.

When the evening had slowed and the majority had gone to their respective rooms, she headed out to the grand back porch that overlooked the swimming pool and tennis courts. As she'd thought she would, she had found Logan on a pool chair smoking a cigar, a beer on the low glass table beside him. She'd sat in the chair on the other side of the table, pulling her long black coat more tightly around her in the cooling night's breeze.

"So Marie…" Rogue shook her head. "Rogue…" Wolverine corrected himself with a smirk. "You were lying your ass off in there tonight. What really happened? You weren't okay, we all know that. There was a time when Emma couldn't track you telepathically and no one could find a trace of you anywhere. You gotta know we looked."

Rogue nodded. "Logan," she paused, "You're right, it wasn't good. But it's mine and if the time is ever right, I suppose I might be persuaded to talk. Not now, not anywhere in the near future. There's no need."

"I can smell him on you ya know? Who is he?" The Wolverine's nose was crinkled a bit in disgust and frustrated curiosity.

Smirking, she allowed his probing question. "He's the one who found me and saved me. He's the one who kept me from going over the edge Logan. His name is Remy LeBeau, the mutant known as Gambit."

Thus had begun their conversation about a daring rescue and escape, about refuge and salvation, about frustration, agony, defeat and triumph. All that Rogue had endured seemed to have been made endurable by this other man's presence in her life at the right times. Logan fought the urge to demand that he should have been the one there to help her and save her and instead genuinely tried to listen to his friend. Again, her details were sketchy when it came to the nitty gritty, but she seemed to lack no details in her description of this red eyed thief and his bravado she so pleasantly rolled her eyes at throughout.

"Why didn't he come with you? Why'd he let you go?"

"The man has his own way to go right now Logan. He has his own feats to plan and the mansion and the X-Men just won't help him right now. His own mission needs to be completed first but he will join us when the time is right. He promised."

Logan had looked over at her and wondered what now went on behind those green eyes. While they appeared to be more expressive, it was deceptive. In reality, they were terribly harder to read. A coldness seemed to emanate from them. But in that one moment, he saw her faith and desire before she quickly recovered, probably without realizing she'd let anything through, and she had rolled her eyes and smirked before standing to leave.

With all her belief in this man and all the respect even Logan had come to have for him through her words, it had been two years since she'd seen him and six months since she'd heard from him. The Guild had offered no information, effectively having had to cut the man out of their contacts for their own safety. Rogue knew they would be searching for him, but that outwardly no connections could show. The safety of the guild was of greatest importance for without that, they would have no chance at bringing him back. Logan had known she was worried; didn't want him to leave when such danger was out there. He hadn't understood her worries fully as he hadn't really known what it was exactly that lurked new for their kind. So he had gone and she'd kept silent, hoping he would return, hoping she'd silently find some lead on Remy.

Now there was nothing and she needed to make sure the rest of her friends understood what they were getting into. She would follow through regardless of their decisions, but the situation was getting too bad for her to stay silent. As the Rogue's eyes finally drifted shut, her last thoughts were dreading the nightmares she would be having that evening. With her worst fears confirmed, her dreams she knew would now consist of watching her own imprisonment be turned on to the two she loved most.

What had their world come to?

Read and review please! Next chapter should be up before the beginning of the weekend, Saturday at the latest. Woohoo!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing X-Men…this is surely not going to change anytime soon.

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. Please review if you read this! Let me know what you think, what you want, suggestions, praise, criticisms, I want to hear it all!

This is my first real attempt at writing Remy's perspective/character so please be gentle but helpful. I've pretty much got Rogue and Logan and others down but Gambit eludes me a little still, even with all the adoration I carry for him and his charms, so be kind and patient please.

On to chapter 5…hope you are still reading and enjoying! Let me know!

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The chill in the room hit him to his bones as he sat folded up on the small white bed. His matching white jumpsuit did little to keep out the cold air of the glass room. He had never been this cold before. His body had always been warm, for as long as he remembered. He thought back briefly, trying to remember really truly being cold and even through his childhood memories of street bound nights and more recent evenings in the dark, hiding in shadows, he could not find a moment comparable to the ones he'd experienced since his capture and imprisonment in this facility. It wasn't even that it was necessarily that cold in the room, he could tell that much at least. Rather, his body was not at all used to feeling a chill at all. His powers had always worked to keep him warm. Even before his powers had fully manifested, the warmth was always there, keeping him from losing those last bits of humanity in the past. Now, his body shivered involuntarily with the lack of heat emanating from his own body.

Relief would begin to come in about ten minutes. Twenty minutes later, they would begin to make their rounds and with the power numbing shot would come return the cold. He would be relieved if this was the worst of it here, but it never could be. Rather, the worst came when he was outside his own glass cage. The worst came in the form of men in black suits leading mutants down never ending halls of glass into rooms of white, all cold and generally much too bright. The worst was what he had heard of from others' nightmarish tales. The worst was what he had signed up for in his most unusual cause and goals. And yet, the worst was something he had not expected, despite the warnings and his supposed understanding of the situations. The worst was unique to each prisoner here and as the heat began to return to his limbs, he knew it would only be about twenty two minutes before the black suits came down the halls once again.

With his blood heating up, the dark haired man stood to his full height and began to survey the outside of his room as he had done as much as possible since his arrival. Though the hallway was dark compared to the space in every other part of this facility, the return of his powers meant the return of his impeccable night vision as well. He brushed a few stray dark strands of hair away from his face. It was getting longer, much longer than ever before as he continued to stay here. If he was calculating correctly, it would be soon enough that he would get out and be able to cut it. He hoped beyond hope that he was right. The darkened hallway to left led to more rooms and a few labs. The one to the right led to more hallways, more labs and the offices. He knew that this smaller, more secured area was housing stronger mutants. This was the area he needed to be in and it had been his luck to land there. With that luck had come the price of the labs accompanying being thusly categorized as a stronger mutant.

He looked out of the glass wall to his right and focused on the next closest cage. He had figured out days ago that it housed a short but built man who often fought the suited personnel. Shaking his head, he strengthened his empathic message to wherever the outside world was to warn off anyone who might accidentally or purposefully come near the site area. No need for more to become trapped and live this hell. The man faltered slightly as the figure across from him turned his body to face his own glass trap. He was certain he was looking right at him. With that realization, he felt a flood of recognition and hope from the being trapped before him. This man's blood red pupils glowed against his black eyes and he attempted to peer more closely at the man. No one he could recognize, but then he really did not actually know too many mutants. No, the Gambit knew people of a different caliber, which brought him quickly back to his goals.

His empathy flared as he felt power building all across the hallway. Focusing, he noticed a power stronger but dormant. It was not coming from the man across from him. Rather it was coming from further down that right hallway. How far, he couldn't tell but this time it was so much stronger, he knew he'd be able to recognize it when he was nearer to it. This was the information he had been waiting so diligently for. This was the research needed that could not have been done on the outside. This was the preparation and the final piece of puzzle. He could only hope he would be able to escape now. He could only hope that his preparation and research had been thorough and finalized enough itself to work.

That was when he saw the black clad figures enter the hallway far to the right. They were early this time, he noted, and they were making their way directly for the bulky man's cell. If he was noting the activity correctly, which his thief's mind knew he was, that man had been getting the shot more frequently ever since he had gotten there. Remy wondered if it was not strong enough for the mutant or if he was simply becoming used to it, perhaps immune. Shaking his head, he turned back to the problems at hand. Whatever was going on with the other mutant, he could not preoccupy himself with it. He had to focus on the job. It was the only thing that mattered. It was the only thing that was going to get him away from the cold and the pain. It was the only thing that would let him finish this thing and return to what, who he had left behind.

The steps grew closer to his own cell and he cringed as the door slowly opened. He breathed in sharply as his empathy allowed him to feel what he had missed for many groggy months. The suited people were not what they were supposed to be. In all the nightmares and tales he had heard and even in his own freakish and horrifying experiences, none had realized this. Perhaps she had known…she'd been so quiet about everything. She must have known. The pieces seemed to fall into place a bit more for the man as the shot was administered and he was too caught up in his epiphany to fight it. She had implied it and yet he had never caught on. But why…why would it be this way. It made no sense…

Gambit's thoughts began to become blank again as the cold returned to his bones and movement was harder for him. He was helped from his cell and out into the hallway. Remy groaned and braced himself in anticipation of his pain's continuation. His feet dragged as they walked him past the burly figure's cell. He turned his red eyes curiously towards the room and noted the man was staring at him. Remy's hair was partly covering his eyes, but the glow he knew would still stand out and it seemed it was that glow the man before him was focused on. Remy turned away groggily and attempted as best he could to focus on his empathy and this opportunity to follow the power he had felt earlier. It was weaker now, undoubtedly due to the shot the mutant must have received. He got a better idea of the general direction, but was still uncertain of the exact location as he was dragged down a connected hallway and into another laboratory.

The room was pale and sterile looking, just as he had always expected. As had lately become customary, he was strapped to the tilted hospital bed in the center of the room. A mirror faced him and he could see just how long his hair had actually gotten. He could also see how pale and weak he looked with the shot continuously administered. If she saw him now, he was sure she would cry. He had wanted to when he had first seen her that day so long ago; the day her own personal hell had ended and he had begun to feel passionately alive. He would have to have the chance to tell her, show her. Glancing down at his arms in the mirror, he cringed at the healing wounds there. Would he make it long enough? He had made it out of many difficult situations, but this was the worst and yet the most important. He couldn't give up now.

That was when the room was cleared and the lights went dim. Remy closed his eyes as the machines in the walls beside him roared to life and the first explosion went off. It was just a test, he knew. The first few were always just tests to make sure the explosions were what they wanted to test. They had to get their basis for comparison and make sure they were getting results off of the fire power they wanted. He had figured out they were testing his ability to sustain explosions. This seemed important to them but he didn't understand why. And now, with this recently acquired knowledge about his captors, the process and test made even less sense.

The room was now filled with smoke and a fan at the back of the room was engaged to suck it out. It was always this way. They always wanted to keep him alive and keep him breathing throughout. They had to make sure he could complete more tests so they could get the results they were looking for; so they could complete the puzzle that was his ability to survive his own powers. Remy glanced back at the mirror in front of him, knowing it was really a one sided room and that surely even his own facial expressions and reactions to the process was catalogued as well as any other sensory information gathered from the room. He didn't bother to try to see through the glass. Rather, he watched his own face and the scar that had graced his right cheek for four months now. An earlier explosion had not been so endurable and the mark would be with him forever he assumed. He held a permanent physical reminder of these traumas. His last thought before the first true test explosion was his wondering if this was just a taste of the scars left on other mutants, visible or not.

After the first explosion, Remy was on the verge of unconsciousness and at the second, he passed into it gratefully. The pain disappeared as his mind escaped the blinding lights and fire piercing and burning his skin. He flashed back to the beginning of these reactionary measures. Everyone had to react and choose now. It had been this way for nearly three years now and it was only getting worse. The Guild had had to enter the conflict, choosing a side as well now. No organization and no one person was left to be neutral now, including the Guilds of New Orleans. The first job came as a surprise but it had sealed the deal for the Thieves'' Guild, finally placing them on the pro-mutant side the debates and battles. The job had seemed simple but Remy held a personal connection. They were to rescue mutants, essentially steal them from a base in California.

In his darkened and unconscious state, Remy found himself subject to even the current and conscious smells of sulfur and burnt substances around him as he slipped into memories of that first rescue. The job had been a success but the tragedy was that they had gotten tipped off they were coming at the last minute. The lab had gone into self destruct mode, tunnels carrying the scientists and other personnel out of the lab before collapsing in on them. Rooms and hallway and laboratories above were left to explode and burn with the captives stuck inside. The smells were overpowering and the thieves hid in the smoky shadows, getting their bearings.

"Let's get in an' get our mon amis. 'Dis place gonna blow á tout instant." Gambit nodded to the four others with him and silently, the group split and moved swiftly through the smoke, becoming one with the swirling darkness surrounding them. Remy made his way along on deep corridor until he reached a large glass wall. The blueprints they had researched on this place had been slightly off but he was not surprised really. No one who had entered one of these facilities had yet to come out and return to the world of the living. The wall was slick under his touch and he had to wipe the ash and debris off surface to see in. What he saw made his stomach curl and the breath leave his strong lungs.

A child was lying in the middle of the floor of the enclosed area. A gas was inside and the form was beginning to convulse as the young boy coughed violently and his limbs moved involuntarily on the hard ground. Remy cursed under his breath and found his way to the doorway. As it was locked, he took the chance of charging the lock and awaiting the resulting explosion. When it went off, the smoke around him seemed to multiply tenfold but the door had been jarred open. Remy took a gulp of the smoky air outside before entering the gaseous small room through the now broken glass doors. The child vomited once before Remy gently but hurriedly grabbed the boy and exited the small room. He noted his team's locations, each acquiring their prizes of victimized mutants.

Gambit shivered as they disappeared into the shadows. What had their world come to that this was allowed and overlooked? That this was real and not just nightmarish tales of fiction or scary stories of warning? The child whimpered but did not awaken from its slumber. Remy's eyes glowed with anger and newfound determination. He would do whatever it took to stop these abominations. He would not let other mutants' childhoods be stolen from them in such violence and discrimination.

As the explosion in the laboratory dissipated in a cloud of smoke, Remy was awakened from his memories and brought back to the intense pain that now spread over the exposed skin on his hands and arms. A light blinked before his fogged over and heavy lidded eyes, signaling the seconds left before the final explosion, presumably of the same material and type. _"Non…non…n'être pas plus…"_ Remy couldn't tell if the words had stayed in his mind or if they had been spoken aloud. It all jumbled together now and as the next explosion went off; he screamed inside and was sure in the back of his head that the sound was undoubtedly heard throughout the complex. He was beyond caring and understanding now…his plans laid aside in the deep midst of the pain and ever growing hatred. His mind wondered briefly if the torture had been so bad for his Rogue. It must have been…with the trauma she had endured and had spent so long sorting out after…

Finally all thoughts left him as the door swung open and a black clad male medical personnel entered the enclosed laboratory room. With the prick of a needle, Remy's red eyes drooped shut and his tortured mind returned to its own inner caging.

**Please review so I can be inspired to write Chapter 6…hehe…gotta love the bribery yeah?**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing Marvel, X-Men, or X-Men movie related in any way.

Weebird: It will all make sense eventually, to me too. Lol Glad you're stinking around for the ride and I tried to make this chapter a bit longer but still needed to end it as you will see so that the mystery is still intact.

Green Peridot: Sorry it was confusing at the beginning of last chapter with perspectives. Partly, yes it was on purpose but more I just wanted you guys guessing who it was but not necessarily still thinking it was Logan, though I do totally see that looking back at it. I adore the Romy pairing as well. It's what I mostly read myself but have only recently began writing so thanks for the boost, hopefully this story will meet or exceed expectations and do justice to our continuously tortured couple.

ChamberlinofMusic: I think lots of people have things up their sleeves in this story. We'll just have to wait and see…hmm…

4Rogue: If more people should be reading this, you should totally be telling them all about it! Hehe Thanks for the confidence boosters!

Sara: Ahh, the torture must continue for a little just to give the story the right feel. I mean this to be a story that will satisfy and not leave you sad, but also one set in a slightly darker world. They're tough guys…that's what we love about them.

KLS: Thank you so much for your review! It was very motivating to say the least. How did you happen upon my story in particular?

Wanda W: One of my own favorite authors, how exciting! Thanks for the clarification on the French, it was actually just a dumb typo I need to go back and fix. Oh well, that's what I get for going this sans beta. I'm glad my descriptions are popping for you. I love drawing the reader in so they really feel they know the surroundings and are a part of the whole thing.

Thanks to you all who reviewed and thanks to everyone who has already added this story to their Faves and/or Alerts. If that's all you did, don't forget to review and let me know what you think. The more reviews I get, the more motivated I am to write sooner, as my sister would say, 'Fo Sho! On to Chapter Six…

"Alright team, before you on the holoscreen is our target location. We have marked the possible entrance options as well as the security features that we were able to pick up on while we were out there. Storm, I want you, Beast and Jubilee to enter at the lower tunnel Rogue found. Bobby, Emma and I will take the shaft at the top of the mountain and Rogue and Kitty will take the deeper tunnel. Now, for the security we'll be facing…"

Rogue tuned out her beloved leader as she had seen first hand the security involved with bunkers like this. Her mind flitted to Gambit's face and her heart skipped a beat. Emma glanced in her direction briefly but then returned her apt attention to the man in front of them as he pointed at the floating blueprints at the center of the table. Gambit had had to complete a big job for the Guild when he left her at the train station that took her back to New York. She had learned enough while in New Orleans with him to understand the need for secrecy and why he could not disclose the final goal to his missions. She let herself slip into stolen moments hiding in the South with him as she waited for the team to pull itself together.

She had awoken in a cold white room and begun to panic. She had gotten out of the labs, she was sure of it, how could she be back already. Sitting up in a frenzy, the Rogue had swept across the room feverishly. Where was the man with the red eyes…if he was here then she must not have been returned to her nightmare. As her gaze took in the room, she noticed flowers on a high table across from her bed and a soothing mood to the area that she had not felt at first. Turning to her right, she found the man she was looking for. He was hunched in an armchair, his chin touching his chest, arms folded, as he slept. She gave a small smile and remembered his protective nature as they had travelled from the prison and made their get away to wherever they were now. Laying her head back on the fluffy pillow, she allowed herself to succumb to sleep.

Days later, Rogue was rested physically, but she was fearful to leave the room. Her body felt strange and foreign to her as she paced in front of the bed. She felt lighter and more limber. She felt stronger and more daring. This frightened her and confused her. Even worse, she found herself constantly talking to herself, or rather someone in her head that would not leave her alone. The voice cried out to her, mourning an unfathomable loss that left Marie falling to her knees in tears and screams that echoed hollowly. The red eyed man came to her every day, he brought food, he brought clothes for her to leave the room in and when she wouldn't he would sit with her patiently.

"Wha' did dey do to ya chere? Remy's seen some pretty bad stuff in dese places but dey don' always make sense Remy knows. We don' know eachoder dat well but ya're safe 'ere petite." He would wait for hours, neglecting the next missions, leaving them to his family and fellow guild members. This woman had entranced him and he found her conflicting despair and strength compelling. He sensed her need to rise out of this but knew that such action took both time and pain.

And so Rogue slowly began to trust the man who stood by her side for no reason. She allowed him to guide her to a real bedroom. Her injuries had healed a week earlier and she agreed the room had been stifling and suffocating her. So she cried herself to sleep on silk sheets in an elegant yet modern bedroom suite that was held for her. She spent her days balled up in a corner for several weeks. Sometimes she screamed at Remy for calling her Rogue, for calling her Marie…didn't the stupid Cajun know who she was! At some point, she had broken the large mirror on top of the wood vanity with her bare fist. It hadn't been her own image staring back at her! She must have been hallucinating! What was this new nightmare…hadn't she been tortured enough with their endurance and strength tests, with their flight simulations to the point she was breathing in air so thin even her body could not last and she would fade into unconsciousness midflight, falling limply only half alive. Other times, she carried conversations with Remy. She explained she was from the X-Men, that they would be worried about her, but please don't call them, she couldn't face them like this, not knowing who she was.

He got her into their gym, relearning her body and movements, letting her use muscles that had gone without for too long. They sparred, anger flaring in her eyes as she let out emotions she had yet to put into words. So it went for three months straight. She started to eat downstairs with the others who had been rescued and those who were now newly rescued from other places. Remy's family met with them there as well and she guardedly greeted them but only on days she felt sure of herself.

One day, she was in the middle of a sparring session with Remy and she just stopped mid leap and dropped to the ground. Her body was clad in skin tight work out pants and top, her streaked hair pulled away from her face in a high ponytail. She stared out at the grey walls in front of her blankly then screamed, clutching her head, tears streaming down her face. Remy immediately dropped his bo staff and ran to her side, kneeling down and lifting her head to look at him.

"Rogue…is okay 'ere chere. Ya're safe ma petite…" Rogue pushed back from him and slid her back against the wall behind her. It was too much for her, but it was coming to a head, someone inside of her knew.

"Remy, they left meh…gawd, mah own family…took me to them an' left me there handcuffed an' alone. That was their answer to mah mutation, to tha people in mah head. Who does that? Carol…she's in mah head Ah think maybeh forevah an' she can' comprehend it neither…why did Ah evah leave the Institute…Ah shoulda listened ta Logan…he tol' meh…he warned meh. Ah wanted ta believe them, ta trust them…"

She paused in her rant. Even through her nightmares and tears and screaming in the past, she had not revealed so much to this new friend of hers. She feared she would never have the strength to tell it again so she must continue now or lose the opportunity for any kind of release forever. She couldn't keep falling apart, pieces never picked up, every day and every night. It was killing her she knew, not eating, not sleeping, working out too much, crying constantly but never rehydrating. She was self destructing after freedom was offered to her and forced destruction was no longer a danger. It had to end.

Rogue looked up at Gambit's pleading eyes and took a deep breath. She felt the determination spread through her limbs and mind. "Ah took tha cure, maybeh a year ago, Ah don' even know tha timin' anymore. I went home an' it worked for a while. But even bein' home, it wasn' tha same. Ah wasn' the same, mah parents weren' and the world would nevah beh. When mah powers came back, it all happened so fast…lahke it'd been planned for weeks. Ah shoulda known but Ah was too hopeful. So they took meh, all dressed in black, yah know how they are. They…they made meh kill her. Two days b'fore yah came. Tha girl that was next ta meh there, they made meh touch her, take all of her an' now she's here wit' meh everyday, still so scared. Tha things they did ta her, it's…it's lahke they did 'em tam eh too. Her nightmares…mah nightmares…sometimes Ah can' tell which are which."

Rogue closed her eyes and Gambit slid an arm around her shoulders as they both leaned against the wall. He touched her cheek with his gloved hand and she opened her green eyes to him. "Chere…ya be Rogue now, ya know dat. Ya're stronger den ya t'ink an' it be a matter a time b'fore ya ready. But petite, da flyin', da strength, dey not Marie's den hein? Dey be dis girl's?"

"Carol's…" the whisper came out slowly and Remy nodded as he smoothed her hair out of her face.

"Well, den Carol be part a ya now too. Dese nightmares, dey be gettin' bettah, goin' away I can tell. Ya're already winnin' ma chere, ya can use de other powers as if dey were yar's ta begin wit'. Dere be notin' ta do for her now an' Ah know dat be heartless but chere look at wha' dis world becomin'. We be mutants and we can' sit an' let our lives beh destroyed like dis. Ya be a strong femme an' it be tahme ya take yar grievin' an' make ya life come back outta it. Dis Carol, let 'er be part a ya, stop fightin' cause there be notin' ta fight when it all be inside a yah lahke dis. Ma chere ya are de mos' belle femme Ah know an' Ah be plannin' ta stan' by yah but ya gotta stan' first so we can stan' togetha. Dere be people who be missin' ya, who need to know ya, who care abou' ya. Desole but it be time fo' ya ta rise up mah Rogue."

She stared at him for a long few moments before a crease hit her brow and tears streamed down her face once again. Her head hurt from constantly fighting with Carol for control, from beating herself up about her parents, from hating them, from crying all the time, from the fear that overtook her each and every morning she woke up and Gambit was not sitting on some couch or chair in her room. How long had it been now, three months since leaving that place. She would be dealing with this her whole life she knew, it had changed her forever. Yet, during that time, she knew the Thieves Guild had already went on one more rescue mission and she had heard that there were now five known labs like the one she had been in. Not to mention the near passing of the mutant registration act and the progress in human / mutant relations lost over the years since Xavier's death. The world was indeed beginning to fall apart around them. While she knew the Guild's hospitality would not run out as her friendship with their prince was so strong, she understood his call to action so well. It was what had given her passion as an X-Man and what now drew her to him even as she sobbed in his arms.

Rogue felt her body lifted from the floor by the arms she now knew so well. Her tears subsided as they made their way through the maze of halls and stairs to her room. There, he tucked her into her bed and, turning off her light, made to leave her for the night. She grabbed his gloved hand with her own as he turned away. Pulling him back to her gently, now understanding her own strength, she gave him a meek look.

"Remy, stay with me tonight." He nodded, ditching his trench coat and moving towards the couch. "No…ya're right. Marie…she disappeared in that hell…an' Carol, well she's gone too. They're both in meh an' please as Rogue, Ah wan' ya ta come 'ere and lay wit' meh tonigh'. This is what Ah wan' Remy…"

The Gambit stopped and looked into the woman's eyes. No fresh tears adorned her cheeks. Instead, a quiet fire burned in her eyes and he wondered for a moment if it was the same he felt himself when he looked at her. Words unspoken because there were always too many others words and too many other issues surrounding them. These words would not be spoken now, perhaps not for a longer period of time, but just the same, he understood her desire and would not be leaving either one of them alone that night. He smirked at her with an easy charm he had not yet used fully with her and slid in beside her smooth body in the large bed.

"So mah chere wants ta sleep wit' her Remy tonigh'. Well Remy not be one ta turn down a femme as belle as da Rogue. Now sleep mah Rogue." She adjusted in his arms and allowed a small smirk to play on her own lips as she fell into her first truly sound sleep in what felt like ages.

"Rogue! Rogue! Are you even listening Rogue?!" A harsh male voice broke off her memories as her calm and contented smirk moved into a more annoyed frown. Scott was calling to her, something about her and Kitty's jobs for the rescue. The rest of the team was staring at her with strange expressions. It had been a while since she had spaced out in front of her friends, making it a point not to do so. Oh well, she shook her head, swishing her shoulder length hair out of her face.

"Yeah, yeah Cyke, Ah heard yah. Meh an' Kitty'll fly down an' she'll phase us through tha laser system and locked hatch. Ah got it. Thing is great leader, these wardens an' doctors aren't what yah're expectin'."

"Like what do you mean Rogue?"

Gah, how had Remy gotten himself caught in the same trap he'd sprung her from? And Logan, well, he'd been somewhere else entirely in his nightmarish lab time. Well, time to let them know she supposed. It would be vital in their upcoming mission, though she really did think their plan would work just as well under the new stresses she was about to clue them in to.

Read and Review!

Preview: Chapter 7 takes us back to the boys in Death Valley, CA. I know, don't you love my vagueness. Until then, mon amis.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything X-Men related or Marvel or movie related in any way. All I have are some Rogue comics and an action figure my obsession promoting sister got me. Love it!

Thanks for the reviews! They are the reason this chapter is coming so soon. Great motivation. Want more fic…write more reviews. Such a great theory to life.

Weebird - more pieces to fit together, hope you like it.

Wanda W – thanks for your more detailed review. Sweet! Yeah, the X-Men know what's up but the reader will still have to guess…just a little longer now, I do love my mystery here

Ishandahalf – I too wished there had been a movieverse Remy…now he's not going to fit too well with our movieverse Rogue, the way it's looking. Hmm…leave it to Hollywood to mess up one of the best couples ever.

KLS – Go Romy!

ChamberlinofMusic – I wanted to give Rogue more depth and strength because the movies did not do the character justice. Glad you think it's working.

On to chapter 7…

The quiet was deafening, making his senses hurt with their disuse. Remy huddled in the corner of his small glass room, the lone blanket and pillow curled around him in a feeble attempt at warmth and comfort. His whole body ached and he'd not gotten much sleep before awakening to the pain in his arms and skin. While he healed only slightly faster than most, it was still slow to kick in with the power restraining serum injected into him. Now, however, he was starting to feel a burning warmth in his chest. That was where it always started as his powers would begin to strengthen. Finally his body would try to warm itself again. It was happening sooner than before this time. He hoped that meant that he would have more time before they returned to him with more serum. If only they had not burned him so badly beforehand. Perhaps they knew this would keep him sedated. How wrong they had been.

The man stretched slowly out of his cocoon of bedding in an attempt to rise from the ground and stand. He made it into a low crouch with a strangled cry and a harsh grimace on his face. Pausing for breath and strength, he closed his eyes in a daze. What was it Rogue used to say after their sparring sessions? Oh yeah, that's right, 'get off your lazy ass Cajun, how do you always end up there?' Smirking, he would always reply that it was only for her that he would fall. He could picture her eyes rolling and the soft, blushing smile that overtook her features as she reached her hand down to him to pull him up, knowing full well she would just be pulled down on top of him.

How had she endured this? His strong southern belle. She had never told him exactly what had happened in here to him, but he could imagine now, not sure he himself would want to disclose the entirety of his tale here, now that he had such a gruesome one. He wished desperately it had not been so long since he had seen her. Now it would have been a year and a half and six months since he had spoken to her. He used to call her at least every month or so, sometimes, often, much more. Near the end of that year, it had been less as he had gotten closer to his goal and watched more carefully. Their last phone conversation had brought tears to his eyes during his first few months in his cell. Now, it gave him hope that he would get out of his self imposed entrapment, if only to hear her voice again, maybe even be so lucky as to see her shining green eyes stare back at him so intently. Alas, he had only heard her voice last and that had been so long ago by now it seemed.

"Remy, where are ya? Ya been gone so long now, wha' is it ya gotta do so bad that one o tha othah guild members couldn' do?" Her clear but obviously strained voice came over the phone to him. She was strong, he knew, even though this was hard. Yet, she was unable to completely hide the strain and worry from her voice. In spite of himself, he smirked into the crappy diner telephone on the back wall of a dingy, empty room. He knew it wouldn't be long now before they took him. Part of him shivered at the thought, though he knew it had been his goal all along.

"Chere…Remy tol' ya dis job be très important. Don' worry Rogue, shoul' be fini soon. Is almos' done now, Remy promises. Den Remy be back for 'is chere. She still be waitin' for dis ol' Cajun non?" He spoke more freely, more emotionally than he usually did when on the phone with her, but he knew it was a matter of days, more likely hours, before his freedom was gone. She seemed to sense his tension and responded more passionately herself.

"Ah know Rems, Ah'm jus' worried an' what if Ah coul' help ya? Ya jus' seem so tired an' well, almos' afraid. Ya've nevah been afraid of a job b'fore, an' ya nevah been gone so long b'fore neither. It's jus' been so long. Ya know Ah'm waitin' here sugah. Ain't no one else can stan' a fight wit' meh here."

Remy chuckled at her attempt to lighten the mood. He rubbed his eyes from under his dark sunglasses as he replied. "Ah, da Wolverine friend a yers be gone again mon chere? Well, maybeh Remy be back b'fore he is an' we can ambush 'im when he returns non?" When he heard her laugh softly into the phone, his heart clenched. How long would it be before hearing that sound again? He cherished it as long as he could and when the silence grew too long, he continued. "Roguey, Ah need ya ta know…"

"No Remy," his tough woman cut him off. "Ah don' wan' ta hear anythin' lahke that from ya righ' now. Ya jus' get back here an' maybeh Ah'll listen ta ya then, but not lahke this sugah. Ah need ta know ya're comin' back, if only ta give meh words, ya come back ta me." The fierceness in her voice shook him and he nodded despite himself.

"D'accord mon amour, mais Remy must be goin'. Is no' safe for 'im ta talk here no mor'. Jus' remembah wha' Remy tol' ya, if ya don' hear from meh, call mon pere an' he will tell ya if Ah'm okay o' non. Do ya remembah de safe word?"

"Yeah Remy, Ah do. But please don' let meh no' hear from ya."

"Desole if dat is wha' it comes down ta mon chere. Mais Remy mus' go, remembah Remy be yours." He quickly hung up before he would have to hear another word of her sweet voice. The Gambit took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes once more before focusing on the room and standing to leave. He nodded his thanks to the waitress as he left a few dollars on his table to cover his bill. Walking through the door, he wearily noticed how dark it had gotten and cringed with anticipation. He could feel the tension in the air and knew it was tonight. He'd barely gotten that last call in to his chere. It had been a month before that since they had spoken. At least he had gotten a few moments tonight. As he approached his motorcycle at the edge of the parking lot, he felt the dart hit him in the side of his neck. He could have avoided that first shot, run to his bike faster, jumped on and sped off before they knew what was going on. No, instead he sauntered to his ride as though full from his meal, all the while replaying his conversation with Rogue in his mind. He distracted himself thusly as the liquid in the dart began to sink in and he fell face first to the hard asphalt.

Now, Remy was facing another floor, one just as hard and cold but white and brightly glaring at him as he reopened his eyes. Surveying the room, he let his sensitive eyes try to adjust to the lights reflecting off his glass walls. Just as he stood, pulling at the white jumper and steadying himself with a blistered hand on the wall, he paused as he thought he heard a howl of pain from nearby. This was not unusual in this place, so he tried to just shut the sound out as he normally did. He looked around the small cell for something to charge and settled on his pillow, though it would be a rather larger explosion than he really wanted. He didn't have much choice here though and he did not know that he would get such a chance again. Next time they might realize his powers were adapting and coming back sooner. No, it had to be now. As he picked up the pillow gingerly, movement across the way outside his own glass enclosure caught his eye.

The room beside his was opened and a figure was laying in the doorway. Through the glass, that was all that he could see and it made him pause, not yet charging his weapon of choice. As his still slightly clouded mind was contemplating the possibilities, he was once again distracted. This time he moved into a defensive position, crouching and holding out the pillow, but not yet charging it, now wanting to give up his secret yet. The lock on his door jiggled and the tight door swung open but no black covered figured appeared. Gambit pulled his pillow down slightly and made to peer through the doorway.

He was met with a stocky frame in another white jumpsuit and two sets of claws. As his demonic eyes made their way up to the man's face, Remy's mouth turned up in his first smile in months. This was just too perfect.

"Gambit." Ahh, the man knew him. His chere must have been talking about him. Here was proof that the outside world still existed, here was proof they might make it out, but only if they hurried.

"Wolverine. Good ta see ya mon ami. Remy's heard so much abou' ya from da Rogue."

His pleasantries were met with a grunt and a sideways glance down the halls. "No small talk Gumbo, let's get." Remy nodded and followed slowly. He searched for the strong source of power he had been tracking and felt it in the direction he had before. This was too easy. They would have to be quick to not get ambushed by their captors. He was not in any condition for a fight, so they would have to sneak he knew. A quick glance and sniff in both directions and Wolverine was leading their way down the hall.

They had left the Blackbird a ways away from their entrances to the underground bunkers and the X-Men were now standing in a group about twenty feet from the plane. They had to be sure not to set off any alarms until the last possible moment so they had the best chance of getting in and out cleanly. It was going to be harder than they had originally thought, now knowing what Rogue had learned years before. However, it was not impossible and not a situation too different from ones they had already faced in the past. As a team, they felt confident they could make it work. Having already gone through their briefing and the plan, the team merely nodded to one another and broke up into teams, each running to their destination quickly.

Rogue picked up Kitty and flew them to the tunnel. As they peered in from their hovering position, Rogue noticed that the lasers for the alarm were evenly spread out. She grinned and looked down at Kitty in her hands. The girl smiled too and nodded.

"Alrigh' Kits lets do this. Ah'll fly us through an' you jus' phase us as we move through the lasers. When we reach thah other side at that porthole metal door there, Ah'll pause so you cahn catch yourself b'fore phasing us through the door. No' sure what's on tha othah side so beh ready."

"You totally got it Rogue! Let's like save us some X-Boys." Rogue lifted them a little higher in the air and signaled Kitty that she was beginning. She flew slowly, giving Kitty the chance to properly phase the two of them in and out of the lasers. It only took a couple of minutes, and they paused for another few seconds thereafter before signaling their move through the door. When they were on the other side both girls switched to strictly silent communications. This would keep them silent to the rest of the team, but it would be smoother this way and they would upstart communications when it was necessary.

Kitty noted that the floor was not alarmed and nodded to Rogue to put her down. As she did, the uniform clad woman also gently hit the floor herself. They looked up and down the white walled hallway they had found themselves in. She cringed at the atmosphere and memories it began to conjure up. Kitty's hand on her shoulder woke her and brought her back to reality and the task at hand. The pair slowly began sneaking down the hallway, seeing the empty glass cells and labs, Rogue could tell this section was no currently being used. They had dropped in at a good location to quietly move into the facility. This would be clean and easy it seemed. Rogue's mind flared with caution and uncertainty. The danger would undoubtedly be just around the corner. It always was.

The black clad duo rounded a corner and saw a few figures in black suits between them and the next hallway. There must be mutants that direction. Just as Rogue slid to the wall in order to get a better view of the hall, a shrill, piercing wail hit her ears. They were made, an alarm somewhere had been tripped. She was pretty sure it hadn't been them, especially as the figures, one of them now glowing, turned left, away from them and away from the hall they had been guarding. Now was their chance to check that occupied area.

Gambit grabbed Logan's sleeve as hard as he could. "Monsieur Logan, dere be a mutant down dis hall dat be needin' outta here."

Logan raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Can't save 'em all bub. We need to get before they catch on. Still don't know where we are ya know."

"Oui, mais dis one be important. Dis be why Remy be here."

"Where is he?"

"Dis way, jus' aroun' da othe' cell dere. Dey will move 'im an' dere won' be anoder chance ta save 'im if no' now mon ami. Is now o' nevah an' he be too important."

Logan said nothing but turned in the direction the Cajun had indicated, letting Remy move ahead to unlock the room as he kept his senses aware and his claws at the ready. They were a few cells down now from the fallen guard at Logan's cage. Gambit undid the lock and stepped in and sighed with relief. He had been right and now, after so long on this one job, he only had to leave with this odd treasure.

"Did you know Cajun? About this place? Who they were? She tell you?"

"Non. Was her secret ta keep. But now, Remy t'ink he need ta know da trut'. Dis homme strong enough ta know what dey be plannin'. He jus' need outta here first. Can ya grab 'im, Gambit be too weak righ' now."

The Wolverine smirked but nodded and moved into the room as Gambit watched at the door. As Logan looked down at the man laying on the laboratory bed, his claws retracted out of shock.

"You know who this is Gumbo?! You know he ain't supposed to be alive?!"

Remy looked over impatiently as he leaned heavily against the glass door frame. "Remy knows 'xactly who dat be. Can ya get 'im o' non? 'Cuz Remy be t'inkin' dere not be much time 'till dose traitorous guards figure out dat a few a dere own be down."

Logan grunted in response. The man had sharp instincts and a plan but had obviously been avoiding the fact that they had no idea where they were. He reached down and gently took the unconscious man into his arms and, after testing the weight, stepped towards Gambit. Just as he did, a loud siren wailed above them, seeming to come from all around. The Wolverine cringed as his hearing picked up the sound even louder than Remy's did. How had they set off an alarm? They hadn't even made it past their own hallway yet. Had the guards figured it out so quickly. Perhaps…but then Logan sniffed at the stale air in the bunker and found the smells now wafting in distant but familiar.

"We got company, but this time it's the good kind…"

Be kind, review. This chapter could have been longer, but since it's already longer than each of my other chapters to this story, I decided to split it up. Hope you enjoyed and yes there will be some answers in the next chapter. If you haven't already guessed a few…


	8. Chapter 8

DesertionChapter 8by ShannaK

Disclaimer: I own nothing X-Men, Marvel, X-Men movie or anything related to them in any way.

Thank you for being so patient in waiting for this chapter. My computer died and life caught up with me as real life so often does to all of us. Anyway, I had halfway finished this chapter when my computer died so this is actually the rewritten version and I like it much better so it all worked out in the end I guess. It is longer, so I hope you enjoy that too. Well, on to the story…

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Rogue look back at Kitty and saw the girl was ready to follow where the men had just left from. "Ah'm guessin' there's mutants down tha' way. Those guys don' stand aroun' fohr no reason."

Kitty nodded with an anticipatory grin on her face. "Well, let's go save these manly men then."

"Teams, alarms are obviously set off. Find the targets, procure them and head out immediately. All meet Emma at the Blackbird for takeoff when finished in here. If back up is needed, radio it in and we'll find your suit's tracking system. Quick and clean people, Cyclops out."

The two brunette girls nodded to one another at their leader's voice over from their com badges and started down the hall to the entrance previously guarded. With quiet and sure footing, the pair made their way slowly down the white walled corridor. The air was filled with the blaring alarms but there were no other sounds alerting them to danger or friends. Rogue took deep breaths as she followed Kitty. She hadn't for a moment thought she would be back to one of these places again. Even when she was planning the searches and following leads and mapping territories, the reality had not hit her that she would be consciously walking such stark white sterilized halls, that feeling of impending pain lingering in the air. All she had thought of was her friends. The anger, the passion, the love had fueled her to this point and she knew she couldn't afford a break down, not here, not now. So she leveled her breathing and appreciated Shadowcat's purposely slower walking, giving her the chance to get her head on straight.

As they rounded a quick corner, they began to hear familiar sounds of battle ahead. Sharing a knowing look, the two took off towards the noises and found their leader and Bobby at the end of a hall fighting three mutant guards in black suits. They ran towards their teammates and jumped into the fight wholeheartedly. As Cyclops hit one of the mutants with his rays, his opponent flung a green slime in his direction, but the impact of Scott's blast sent him flying against the wall, screwing up the slime ball's shot. Rogue flew straight towards the man shaking his head and, grabbing his jacket, lifted him to the ceiling. As she smacked him back against the high wall, he just glared and attempted to slime her. She roughly shoved his hands behind his back, bending them in a way she knew to be painful. He grimaced but held a stoic expression on his face.

"WHY?" Her voice came out more cracked than she had wanted and with more expression than she had planned on sharing with the traitor she was holding too high up for his good. "Why ahre yah here doin' this? Wha' do ya think yah're doin' ta these people? Wha' good can come outta this yah prick!"

The man smirked at her and she became more outraged, punching him square in the jaw with more strength than she's realized she was letting through. A few trickles of blood made their way from the corners of the mutant's mouth but he only shook his head and continued to smirk at her. "Oh, I know about you. Such a success in our research in Alabama. Such a pity you escaped the facility there. There was still so much to be learned from you. Glad to see you found your way back to us."

This earned him a fist to his nose and Rogue found herself smirking as the blood began to seep from his nasal cavity now too. "Oh yeah, ahren't yah so glad Ah'm back an' wit' these nifty powers yah'll left meh wit' too. Do yah lahke 'em? Sure don' see what good it did ta force 'em on meh. All it did was make meh strong enough to kick ya'lls asses. That couldna been yer goal. So lemme ask yah one more time ass hole, wha' tha hell yah doin' this shit for?"

Another smirk and a black eye ensued, but the mutant did carefully open his mouth and let words spill out after. Rogue glared with an evil smile playing on her face as she listened to his slurred voice.

"It must be done. It's the only way to be strong enough. The sacrifice of a few is acceptable to benefit the many. We cannot let the future continue this way, so we are finding the way to stop it. The stupid ones fight it, think we're evil, judge us, but those of us who understand what this world has come to, what it will come to, oh, we know far better. So go play superhero bitch, you're all going to die anyway."

Rogue could vaguely hear the battle below her, the crashes from Scott's lasers, the frosting over and cracking from Bobby's chilly abilities and Kitty's calls for her to come down and get back to the mission. This man she held up was broken, bloody and bruised, but it wasn't nearly enough for her. Looking down, she saw the broken glass of what had been one of their clear glass cells. Returning her gaze to the man oozing slime from his hands involuntarily now.

"Bitch? Oh honey, Ah'll show yah the bitch ya'll created. Beh sure ta let yer boss know we ain' stoppin' and ya'll are gonna pay. But you, ya ain' worth mah time. Ya're jus' a lil bitch yaself."

With that, she tossed the man down onto the glass from the height they had been floating at. She watched with anger and a slight satisfaction as he hit the ground, one leg twisting outward to a painful angle. He would live, she knew she hadn't thrown him hard. She wanted him to live, to know how to suffer and to tell his shit hole master that the X-Men were not going to take the torture of their own without a fight. Didn't they have enough problems in the world these days as mutants to spend their time in better ways than fighting one another?

She glanced back down to the fight below and noticed that Scott was punching a guy while her two other friends stared up at her, odd expressions on their faces. Kitty's was one of impatience and sympathy, an odd mix that only a girl's best girlfriend could pull off. Bobby's, on the other hand was one of disbelief. He looked back down at the man who was mangled on the floor and barely breathing then returned his gaze to his ex-girlfriend. Rogue had restrained herself in other battles, other training sessions back at the mansion. Not restraining herself in strength or ability, but rather restraining her fury, her ability to punish and the cold hearted piece of her that was now jaded and unsympathetic. Bobby had never seen this from her. Only Remy had truly seen it, including the tears that came with her true angry meltdowns. Logan had seen her power and understood the ability and need to cause pain. Otherwise, it was only Kitty who saw a small fraction of her friend's anguish when they had tried to be roommates again upon her return to the mansion. A few nights of waking up to broken lamps had been enough to give them separate rooms but a closer friendship.

She shrugged back at her ex-boyfriend. This was why she was Rogue, why she wasn't with the calm, compassionate Iceman, why she was desperately searching for her Gambit. With that thought, she turned her head back to Shadowcat as she lowered herself back to the ground in front of her teammates. Scott gave a final punch and knocked out the last of their current attackers.

"Alright, Storm and Jubilee have found a few other prisoners in a deeper section. Beast found Logan's scent and is following it now. Rogue, Shadowcat, I need the two of you to find the control room, Beast believes he passed it as he split from Storm and Jubes. Iceman and I are going to scout this level for other mutant prisoners here."

Rogue opened her mouth in protest. If Beast was on the trail, she wanted to be there with him, to see her friends. Scott's hand in the air and a shake of his down turned head stopped her though.

"I know Rogue, but I need your head on straight right now and I think the best bet is to get you away from the cells and guards. You know we will take care of this so I need you two to do what you're good at and find out as much as you can about these places. The more we know, the better equipped we will be to take them down."

Scott's expression showed he was serious and determined but Rogue could tell he was looking out for everyone's best interest, hers included, in his orders. She looked to Kitty and the girl also looked determined. Bobby's face carried an expression she still could not read fully. Rogue understood but knew that her ex-boyfriend was not capable of truly understanding her. She had known that when she left to return to Mississippi and when she got back to the X Mansion, she had felt it confirmed. She didn't hold it against him. Rather, she really hoped that he would never have that capability; that he would never have to go through what she and Remy and Logan and a few others had had to go through. She wasn't sure what it would do to him.

So the Rogue merely gave her ex a calm but not altogether unfeeling look before turning her attention back to Scott. She gave a single nod of reluctant agreement before turning and following the hallways away from the two men, Kitty trailing her at a safe but alert distance, allowing the two to execute their stealthy strategic abilities together as practiced so often in the Danger Room.

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A short shadow hit the left side of the hall's wall and Remy instinctively slowed, pushing his body flat against the right wall to wait for the shadow's owner to appear in their hallway. Logan cam up behind him and shook his head. There was something about the man that exuded trained and experienced survival instincts. He had been through these things before and made it out and this idea gave Remy the idea that he too might be able to get out of this.

The shadow decreased in size and a large blue foot preceded the mutant that followed. Gambit was surprised to see a smile on the short man's face as he rounded the corner and saw them. With an eyebrow still raised, he leaned away from the wall and met the man in a black leather uniform.

"Ahh, Wolverine. I was sure that was you that I was smelling." Logan chuckled and his blue companion continued. "Well, I see you have also found another prisoner to escort out of this facility. Storm and the others have also found survivors and we will be convening above surface now. You must be the Remy we have all heard about. It is truly a pleasure to meet you son."

Remy nodded though his head was swimming with the recent activity and the words that seemed to flow continuously from the Beast man's mouth. "Gambit be glad ta see so many friendly faces t'day mon amis."

Beast smiled warmly and briefly turned to look at the prisoner in Wolverine's arms on his way to leading them out of the hall. With that first glance, he had to take a second look to verify what he thought he'd seen. It couldn't be.

"Is this…my stars Wolverine…he's alive?"

"It appears so. Gumbo here knew somehow though Xavier hasn't woken a bit through all this."

"Ahh…well, we shall take him home and take a few scans. This is most interesting."

A beep could be heard from Beast's suit and the man seemed to be shaken out of his reverie. "Beast here, go ahead."

"Beast, this is Storm. I have two other prisoners here with me and I am heading back to the surface. I believe Cyclops and Iceman are accompanying others to the Blackbird as well."

"Very well Storm. We too are on our way up and will meet the team shortly. Have Shadowcat and Rogue found anyone?"

At Beast's words, Remy's head tilted and his eyes immediately searched for the man's face. She was here. He had told her to not try to find or follow him. His family had been instructed to tell her the same, trying to reassure her while not giving too much away for the sake of the mission. He had even been using his empathy to put a cautionary air out around him as far as he could. He should have known she wouldn't give up, wouldn't leave it alone. He smirked a little and winced as he accidentally leaned broken and burnt skin against the wall.

"They are at the Control Room now. They will meet us up top when they have finished…"

A loud explosion echoed through the halls and through Beast's communicator. The walls shook and a thin smoke began to seep into the air around them. Remy squinted through the growing smoke and turned to see Logan crouched down and Beast tucked into a doorway speaking quickly and loudly into his communicator.

"Comrades, we must leave now. It appears charges have been set off deeper inside this compound. The fires are spreading and it will only be a matter of time before the entire facility is destroyed. Is everyone alright and ready?"

With quick nods from the two, Beast nodded in return confirmation and swiftly swung around towards their exit, still a ways up from their somewhat deep location within the desert earth. Remy could hear the blue man on his com link, continuing to get in touch with the rest of the team after the explosion. It seemed Scott and Bobby had been closer than Storm to the blast and they were picking their way through rubble as they neared their exit. As Logan turned a corner towards that exit they would also be using now, the trio saw the outskirts of the explosion as the hallway ahead of them had collapsed, leaving only a path over the rubble to follow.

"Homme?" Beast turned back while Logan picked his way with Xavier in hand across the top of the damaged walls in front of them. "Where be da chere Rogue an' 'er ami?"

The mutant's face gave him the answer before the words left his mouth. "They have not yet checked in with anyone else since the explosion. Cyclops believes the first charges went off near or at the Control Room. However, he is also sure that there are more that are to be expected to go off. Therefore, we must move as quickly as possible. We are moving past the Control Room now and will check in if we have still not heard from them. Mr. Gambit, I'm sure you know well that Rogue can take care of herself. In fact, I think that the girl is so determined to get you and Logan safely out of here that she will get herself out of any predicament that may or may not have occurred."

Remy nodded with a small knowing grin. "Oui ami, dat femme be mos' determin'd. Remy'd do anytin' ta get back ta da chere."

"Then let us continue on friend."

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The Control Room lay ahead and was even conveniently marked with a black metal sign on the wall beside the large double doors. Rogue and Kitty checked the hallways on either side of the doors quietly and with a silent nod to one another, slipped across the hall to the doors. The doors were large, thick metal contraptions and linked to a small key pad below the sign. Rogue took a closer look at the key pad but knew within a quick moment that they would not be able to use it successfully.

Kitty noted her expression and reached her hand out to the door then the wall beside it. With a quick test phase through each wall space, she looked up at her friend with a grin. "I think the door is too thick for me to phase through, especially with whatever it is made of, but I think the wall is much thinner and less dangerous to go through. You up for it?"

Rogue smiled at her excited friend. "Let's go." She reached her arm out to Kitty and grabbed onto her. Then they were moving together through the wall beside them and after a quick sickening feeling in her stomach, the pair were on the other side and standing on a metal floor inside a large room full of computers and a big screen at the end of it.

"Whew! Ah don' know how yah do it girl! Ah ahlways feel sick aftah yah do that."

Kitty laughed as she stepped further into the room and began examining the computers. "It's so not that bad chica! Stop complaining and like get over here huh?"

Rogue smiled with a little less tension than she had held onto for the last several months. "It's gonna tahke too long ta turn these on an' open files. Weh don' have that kin' a time right now."

"I can like phase in and grab the hard drive. I've done it before."

"Soun's good. We'll jus' grab 'em an' take 'em wit' us then."

Kitty looked down at the computer in front of her, phased both her hands through and after a moment, pulled them both out with the hard drive in between them. She went to the next computer and started phasing into the tower. Rogue watched as Kitty's hand disappeared into the computer tower and wondered if Beast had caught up to Logan yet, and if Remy was with them.

Her thoughts completely paused and the room began to go into slow motion as a loud crack reached her ears, much louder than the alarms her ears had now gotten used to. It pierced the air shrilly and the only next sound she heard was Kitty's scream. She was briefly amazed that Kitty's voice was louder than the explosion even though it was so close.

It was then she noticed the fire, the heat, and the flames nearly engulfing her as she began to fly backwards through the air not of her own accord. She slowly turned her head to the side and saw Shadowcat beside her, flying backwards even faster, through the wall they had phased through and smacking hard against the wall after. Her head turned back to the Control Room and all she saw was smoke, flames and large amounts of debris. The computers were destroyed, completely shredded leaving no recognizable remnants behind. Her own body smacked against and through the wall before stopping with a crash at the same wall Kitty had stopped at. As she shook her head and slowly stood, the world came back into real time.

Her ears were ringing and her body was stiff but she would be fine. She always was now thanks to her acquired invincibility. Looking around her as she became accustomed quickly to her surroundings, she could tell that there were other explosions and that theirs had only been the first. She briefly wondered if their presence in the Control Room had set off the charges but her attention was quickly brought back to her friend as a low moan reached her.

"Kit!" She called out as she nimbly made her way through the rubble to the girl laying haphazardly against the wall. She was bruised and bleeding and barely conscious. Rogue bent over her and did a quick look over for further injuries. It looked like an arm might be broken and upon this closer examination, Rogue could tell that it was a wound on Kitty's head that was bleeding. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the girl with ease.

Another explosion rocked the floor and Rogue ducked as more smoke and debris flew over their heads. She coughed once and shook the hair out of her face as she got her bearings. She had to get them out of there. Kitty needed help immediately and if they didn't find a way out soon, she wasn't sure she would be able to pull them through a completely destroyed facility. Rubble, walls were one thing, a whole underground building plus the tons of ground on top was a totally different story. She would not get stuck here, would not die here, and would not let her friend fall here either.

Standing and carefully lifting off the ground a little, she tried to navigate through the hallways in the direction of the exit she wanted to take. It was the same one Cyclops had taken in and would be the fastest way out if it wasn't already destroyed. Finding her way blocked, she swept backwards and, bracing herself, she built up speed. Rogue used one arm to protect Kitty in her grasp and the other to push through the broken wall in her way. She was quickly surrounded by a shower of debris before tumbling into a smooth summersault on the other side. She paused for a second before pulling herself up and peeking a look at her silent but breathing friend. As she stood, she looked down the hall for the way out.

"Chere…"

The voice caught her off guard and she whipped around to face it with a wild look in her eyes. Her shoulder length white streaked hair had a film of dust and concrete particles over it, matching her now less than black uniform. There was blood on her cheek, but it was dried and from the looks of the girl in her arms, it was more than likely not her own. Pulling herself up from her crouched position, she breathed out a heavy breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She closed her eyes briefly to refocus them and when she looked back up again, she saw her friends watching her through the still settling debris.

She looked disheveled and worry streaked her face but her eyes gleamed in the flickering lights. Remy took a deep breath as the bright green finally met his. The noise of the underground building falling apart around them seemed to fade as the two stood down a long hall from one another, just staring. It had been a good year and a half or so since they had actually seen each other and this was probably the worst possible way to have a reunion. Teammates yelling that they needed to get moving, friends laying bruised and wounded in the arms of those still standing, explosions ricocheting off the unfriendly walls, glass breaking and showering down on them with the rest of the dust and smoke, and a looming knowledge that if they did not stop just staring, there would be no more chances to see each other again as they would never get out of this place.

Remy supposed it was the last bit, the thought of never seeing her again after this strange moment if they did not start moving right away, that got him to pull out of their shared gaze and move into action. Beast was already halfway down the hall towards her and their eventual exit. Logan was close behind with Xavier still held close and safely. Gambit made his way as quickly as he could to catch up. When he did he simply placed a hand on Rogue's lower back and gave her a quick smirk.

She bristled on closer inspection of him. The left side of his face had still open burns near his hairline and it was obvious there were many more burns down his neck and chest, though his white jumper prevented any other wounds from being seen. He was favoring a hand and both arms were held away from anything that might even brush against them. After looking him over quickly, her eyes shot back up to his, but with a brief shake of his head and strength of emotion behind the deceivingly calm red of his eyes, she too pulled herself together. This was not the time and if he could get himself moving and not thinking about it all for the time it would take to leave, she could do the same. They had both spent too much time imprisoned and used.

"Le's go sugah. High tahme weh got yah home an' this one 'ere needs ta get too." She gently uplifted Kitty in her arms in reference to her words.

Rogue staggered forward on suddenly unsteady legs as another larger explosion rocked the entire structure from deep within the earth. The walls began to crumble around them and it was becoming quickly apparent that it would soon be caving in around them.

"Chere, ya better be flyin' Remy an' da petite outta 'ere righ' quick."

She nodded and shifted her friend gently over her right shoulder before wrapping a completely covered left arm around Remy's waist. Remy winced at the close contact to his tender, openly wounded skin but smiled at the familiar and missed curves. If they made it out of here, it would all have been worth it. He knew there was more to come, that this was merely the beginning, but if they were together, he would be alright throughout.

The trio lifted into the stale and dirty air and were soon caught up with Beast and Logan at the edge of the exit now blocked by a cave in pile of boulders and cement. Rogue dropped down next to them and turned to Gambit as Beast continued to remove the obstructions.

"Can yah take 'er jus' for a minute Rems?"

Remy understood their immediate need to escape and nodded without hesitation. Rogue transferred Kitty to his waiting arms and winced herself at the look of utter pain on his face. She paused for a moment, her gloved hands resting on his good hand. He forcefully met her gaze and raised a demanding eyebrow.

"Chere, those rocks ain' gonna move themselves."

She bit her lip but nodded and swiftly turned to the project ahead. As she began to move the large debris, their exit became quickly apparent as she was able to move more weight in less time and with less effort. Super strength sure was more useful than absorption.

As a hole large enough for Beast appeared, the blue man ushered Logan with Xavier in his grasp through. Next, Rogue reclaimed Shadowcat and Gambit before following through the exit, hovering through the cleaner air and glaring sunlight outside. Beast took up the rear, swinging through the exit with expert technique.

Rogue could see the Blackbird ahead and pushed herself through the sky towards the open lift door of the jet. The plane's engine was already roaring and it appeared the team was waiting on their arrival so they could depart. Rogue touched down on the lift and silently handed Kitty over to an awaiting Storm. She turned her whole attention to Gambit as he leaned tentatively against her as they made their way to seats near the back of the jet. As they buckled in, Beast and Logan entered the jet and the door shut behind them with an audible whir. After a stream of quick verbal check ins from Scott with each team member, White Queen began working the control panel and lifted the Blackbird off the dusty desert floor.

Remy leaned back hesitantly against the seat and cringed at the pain that streaked through his body. Now that the adrenaline was starting to ease with the danger, fear and anticipation staying behind them in the distance as the Blackbird raced through the clear desert skies, his body was relaxing and beginning to feel the true agony that it had been going through the past several months. His vision began to swim before him and he had to close his eyes and reopen them just to keep the view of the seat in front of him from weaving in and out of focus.

Rogue watched him carefully with a trained and knowing eye. She had seen others go through shock and rapid pain like this but never him, with all his confidence and strength and bravado, the pain was obvious on his dark and chiseled features. She reached her hands up to her hair, tearing her eyes away to hold back the tears for just a little longer. She concentrated on steadying her own hands as she pulled out the elastic band from her hair and ran her finger through the tangles absentmindedly before smoothing her locks and replacing the hair tie. She stared ahead for a moment longer, distracting herself with the conversations around her. They were all discussing the computer hard drives they'd realized she and Kitty had successfully taken, the strange appearance of Xavier, Emma's jet flying abilities, and watching over Kitty as Beast stabilized her with their emergency medical equipment onboard or the other newly freed mutant prisoners that were now with them. She was grateful that no one was bothering her and Remy about the Professor or the computer information or anything for that matter. She vaguely remembered hearing Scott communicate to everyone that the two should not be questioned and that debriefing would occur when it was positively confirmed that everyone currently on the jet was stabilized and doing well upon settling back in at the mansion.

"Chere…" Rogue finally turned her eyes and attention back to the worn man beside her. "Yah don' know how glad Remy be ta see yah." He reached out his bare good hand and rested it lightly on her leg as his eyes met hers. With a small smirk he ran the same hand briefly through his auburn hair that was now too long even for his taste. After a shallow breath from pained lungs, he replaced the hand on her thigh and spoke with a husky voice. "Remy loves yah chere."

Rogue could see the effort it was taking for him to stay awake but smiled in relief and excited anticipation. "Rems, Ah love yah too." She covered his hand with her own and ran another through his hair while he leaned, exhausted, into her touch. "Ya'll jus' rest now Sug, Ah'll still beh here when yah wake up. We all righ' now Rems."

With her words, he finally let himself fall into the weary sleep his body was insisting upon. It wouldn't be long before the jet landed but he was out immediately. Rogue watched his face contort in sleep and she shook her head in anger and sadness for the man she loved. Hadn't he been through enough before all this? Even before he had met her, helped her out of her own fearful and angry and uncontrollable state? Why would he be fated for this last trial and why was it she knew that there was only more to come for all of them? A single tear slipped down her cheek. He was safe, they were safe, together finally. She closed her eyes, causing a second trapped tear to escape. Hopefully it would be enough.

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Be kind, Review! This is not the end…just the beginning. I have ideas for where this story will go, obviously, so hang in there with me and it'll be worth it I promise. This chapter was extra long because it really needed to be. I couldn't leave it hanging at any point and it all just needed to be connected, so there you have it. Again, please review!


	9. Chapter 9

DesertionChapter 9by ShannaK

Disclaimer: I own nothing X-Men, Marvel, X-Men movie or anything related to them in any way.

Thanks for the patience. I am trying to get as much finished on this as possible before May 1 and the corresponding X-Men Origins: Wolverine premier. That of course will call for new fanfiction stories! Anyway, I got complaints on a True Blood story about the character Sookie's southern accent being distracting when written. Since she and Rogue are played by the same actress, hmm both having southern accents, I figured I would try without writing the accent in the X-Men movie realm as well. I wrote in Gambit's still since I think it's important and really, just necessary. Let me know what you think of that change as well as the chapter.

ENJOY!

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Picking up Remy as the man slept quietly and soundly passed out, Rogue followed her teammates and their new guests out of the Blackbird. She saw Logan ahead going through the large X doors at the right of the hangar and continued after him. He still held Xavier's seemingly comatose body and was heading to the infirmary. Behind her, a few of the prisoners were led by Beast in the same direction. Beast himself carried her friend Kitty, now stirring slightly in the blue man's arms. As the Rogue paused to look around the hangar, she saw her friends and their new companions covered in white dust, some in white jumpsuits, others in their team uniforms. Emma was leading some to the living quarters as Scott and Storm could be seen engaged in thoughtful and resigned conversation on their way to the main briefing room.

The walk to the infirmary was short and she tried to keep her mind occupied with the fact that Remy was finally with her again rather than the now more than obvious wounds and scars that marred his skin beneath the jumpsuit he still wore. Hank and Logan worked their way towards the last two rooms of the infirmary and placed their patients in the open beds. A male nurse mutant came out of an office nearby and began to hook up machines to Kitty as Hank McCoy did the same with Xavier. Each began reading vitals and taking notes on statuses as Logan fell back and moved to the third room where Rogue now laid Remy on an identical hospital bed.

Rogue looked up at his approach and stepped back as the nurse moved in to set up Remy's machines around him. She gave a tired smile to the man who had trained under Beast for the past several years. She vaguely recalled absently that his mutation was to block noise and create complete silence around him. As the beeping began at Remy's machines she turned to Logan and opened her mouth to speak.

"She's fine Rogue. Wakin' now and she'll recover from the injuries. You did good kid."

Rogue shut her mouth and looked into her friend's eyes. With a small shake of her head and a smirk, she turned her face back to Gambit's quiet form, nurse still moving around him hurriedly. His burns were examined and catalogued and photographed while pain medication was put into his system.

"Ah wish we woulda found y'all sooner Logan."

"Rogue, we survived. There's nothing more ya coulda done than ya did. Let me tell ya though, it'll be a while before I take another trip again kid. This one, he's tough like you."

Rogue nodded silently. "Those burns'll heal pretty quick. He heals a bit faster, not like yah but still better'n most. Somethin' with tha heat in his body." She uncrossed her arms and turned away, facing Logan. "Can ya stay with 'im while Ah clean up?"

Logan nodded as Dr. McCoy entered the room and began fussing around the Wolverine man. "Logan, I will need to check your vitals and have you clean up before returning to your room. We need to be sure to monitor…"

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get it over with huh?"

Beast nodded with a thin smile and nod at Rogue before briskly leaving the room again, heading towards a supply closet. Rogue stepped towards Remy's still but breathing form and, bending over slightly, placed a gentle kiss on the hair on the top of his head. She opened her closed eyes and looked over his silent features, choking back the knot of emotion in her throat. With a small shake of her head, she turned and faced Logan's careful expression. Her lips quirked in a half smirk as she stepped towards him. With a quick movement, she wrapped her uniform clad arms around him as she pulled him towards her in a tight embrace. She smiled a bit more as his arms returned the hug. Rogue had to pull away as tears threatened to overflow onto her cheeks. A few stray ones fell but she turned away and squeezed Logan's bare hand with her own gloved one before making her way from the small room.

On her way out of the elevator and towards the dormitory rooms, she ran into Ororo, now changed and white hair flowing behind her. The authority the woman exuded was inspiring. Even as Scott had returned to the mansion, she had maintained her strong standing, allowing for the two to now co manage the team, school and mansion. Rogue could see the relief and determination on the woman's face and was a bit surprised when her mentor paused at the entrance to the elevator and gently reached a hand out to Rogue's shoulder.

Rogue looked to the woman and let the relief she felt show in her ever so small smile. Ororo returned the gesture with a relieved grin of her own. They had succeeded in their mission more than they had hoped would be possible. Both the missing male mutants had been retrieved, several other mutant prisoners and an unexpected find of Xavier as well. Now came the task of treating the physical and psychological wounds. The two women both knew pain first hand in differing scenarios and understood the time it would take to heal. The worry did not entirely dampen their excitement, though with relief came their tears as well.

"He's down there now. I think getting cleaned up and watching over the others with Beast."

Ororo nodded and turned quickly to the still open elevator. It shut smoothly after her and Rogue turned away to head to her own room. Her friend had held in her fears to keep the school together and to keep them all focused on the missions to find and successfully retrieve their teammate and Rogue's friend. Rogue had followed suit as one of the lead team members and had continued strong, searching databases, raiding already emptied labs and helping with daily duties around the mansion.

As the woman let the warm water fall on her tired body for the shower she desperately needed now, she found her legs weak and her knees buckling under her. Falling, head in hands, body curled against the side of the shower, Rogue let the water bead down her streaked hair. The tub filled with dirt and white dry wall, now clumped and sliding towards the drain. It barely registered with Rogue as the tears ran down her face and the violent sobs racked her still curled body. He had been gone for so long, she had started to wonder if perhaps it had been too long, that perhaps it had been too late. She had feared that perhaps he had finally gotten himself into a situation he could not get himself out of.

Peering into that life without him near, having had him far away for so long, she had cringed at the thought but not allowed tears. Her heart and mind had not let her think of it as a true possibility because it would change her life, change her. So she had carried on searching desperately, letting her training and experience take the forefront, turning off her fears and hopes to let her professional abilities shine and work for her when she needed them the most. Now, her heart broke for all the stress she had been under and all she had worried about. Remy was safe and alive and downstairs, not far from her now. All she could do was hope that he made it through his experiences there well enough to return to her in spirit as well as in body. She knew the pain and knew that he had been through terrible things in his own life before. The Rogue needed to know that her Gambit was okay and still with her.

Letting the tears stop and the water wash them away, Rogue gently pulled the wet hair from in front of her eyes and looked up at the water as it fell onto her face. Her breathing quieted and she pulled herself up from her crouched position on the smooth floor of the tub. As she went through her shower routine, a small smile began to grace her features. After dressing and grabbing her laptop and phone, she headed down to the kitchen to pick up a quick snack. Passing the X-Men main computer room downstairs, she paused and entered. On the large screen, several documents were pulled up as well as a video paused at the bottom left corner. Bobby sat at the head station, pulling the information and doing a preliminary scan of the computer hard drives Kitty had pulled. A file with Remy's name popped up and Rogue moved further into the room with a hitched breath. The words made her choke on the air trying to get through to her lungs. Results of experiments, details of chemical interactions and more flickered across the screen until a file with documented photos popped up. The first Bobby opened paused on the screen and Rogue faltered, the sob in her throat caught, alerting Bobby to her presence.

He quickly switched to the desktop image, a scene of New York in the snow, but the image was burned into Rogue's vision and mind. Remy, tied to a flat lab bed, the burns covering his arms up to his shoulders and streaking slightly down the right side of his face. She briefly recalled a mark on his face in the short amount of time she had seen him since the rescue. Seeing it fresh and open hit her hard. The date on the picture had been in large text at the top of the photo. It was dated two weeks after his final phone call and that had been so long ago. This had just been the beginning of what he went through.

Bobby was at her side in an instant, reaching out gently with his hands on her shoulders, his eyes seeking out her attention as she stared blankly at the soft and incongruent scene of a snowed in New York countryside.

"Rogue, Rogue, are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there."

She pulled herself out of her daze. "No, no Bobby, it's okay. I'm fine. It was just a shock is all, seeing all that up there like that. Are you alright?"

Bobby took a step back and allowed Rogue the space to straighten and compose herself. He had been seeing Kitty for a few years now. Rogue was the only one who knew he had a ring hidden in their room upstairs for the girl.

"Been better you know but she's tougher than she looks, she's getting checked up on by Hank now." Rogue smiled as she stepped to the computer and began to copy all the stolen information onto her laptop. Bobby paused at his ex's silent strength and fury hidden behind the green eyes he had once gotten to stare into. "Rogue, about what happened down there…I know I don't understand but, well, I worry and if you need anything…"

Rogue's computer beeped and she flipped it shut before turning to face her friend. "Bobby, you don't need to worry. I'll be fine. This just isn't going to happen to anyone I love ever again." She gave him a trademark smirk and, eyes flashing in a way that always threw the Iceman off balance. Rogue flipped her hair over her shoulder and made her way to the computer room's door. "I'll see you later Iceboy."

The Rogue sauntered out of the room and down the hallways towards the medical labs. As she reached the window to Remy's room, her eyes found his still form covered by the standard white sheet. He was hooked up to an IV and his pulse was steady and comforting. From the doorway, she saw his chest rose with reassuring breaths and she felt her own heart rate and breathing steady to match. Her lips moved up into a soft smile at the sight of him before her.

"Please wake up Remy. Be okay sugar."

Her whispered thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a shrill ring. Her phone rang and vibrated in her hand. Putting down her other supplies, she lifted the phone to her eye sight. The number was restricted and Rogue's head dipped slightly in response. She glanced briefly once again at Remy to make sure he slept peacefully. Silently, she moved to the doorway and clicked her phone.

"Yes?"

A young male voice came across the line to her ear. "Verify your name an' code s'il vous plaît?"

Rogue pulled a gloved hand through her hair and turned her back to the room. "This is Rogue, code Queen of Hearts." She sighed as she relayed the code Remy had set up for her. A soft snicker could be heard on the other end and Rogue frowned. "Oh just talk to me already would you Henri?"

"Name an' code verified. This be Henri, code Jack and coke." A pause from the other end before continuing, "It be true den? Did ya really find him?"

Rogue but her lip at her friend's question. Remy's brother's voice was quiet and full of anticipation. She nodded subconsciously as she spoke. "Yeah, he's here, asleep, healing, but here."

Henri breathed a heavy sigh of relief at her words. "Thank god. Contacts heard 'bout a collapsed lab in de California desert an' den Mercy mentioned she heard from you 'bout California. You bot' be alright dere chere soeur?"

"We're both safe now and we'll be alright."

"Bien. Jean Luc be in meeting now but he'll call t'night. We all been worried, good to know Remy's got you behin' him chere. Please tell mon frère when he wakes dat we miss 'im bien?"

"Bien Henri, bien."

"Did he fin' him, in da facility?"

"Did he finish the job you mean?" Henri sighed with regret pulsing through his response. Rogue's voice softened a bit. "Yeah, yeah he did. The professor is also here. He hasn't woken yet either, but he's here and safe too."

Voices could be heard on the other end and when Henri returned to the phone, his voice was short. "Rogue, we received information from da man on da inside at da main offices. Apparently deir schedule has moved up parce que of California. Dat be all I can say now but you should know, we be movin' in on da place soon."

Rogue leaned her back against the window, back facing Remy's room, and sighed. It had to be done. Hopefully it would help stop the senseless violence, put an end to plans that didn't accomplish their means. Nodding, she responded, "How soon Henri?"

"Less than a month petite. You tell your team yet da details?"

"No, not yet, but the briefing is soon. I was hoping Remy would be awake to go with me, but we'll see. They will be on board Henri, please tell Jean-Luc not to worry."

Reluctant acceptance held on to both their voices and the short silence that followed. "Bien ma petite. Mercy insisted I give her love ta you and mon frère. S'occuper de vous et Remy hein? We will talk again soon petite,"

With a click, Henri was gone from the other line. Rogue flipped her cell phone shut and took a deep breath before turning to re enter Remy's room. The worst was not quite behind them yet. She may have found her Gambit and the others, but now they had to complete what they had started before it was too late. The organization was moving fast and had to be stopped before everything went public and the organization's creations couldn't be stopped anymore. Right then, she and Remy were the only ones who knew what was going on. She could guess that Logan had started to get the idea, having been an example for the organization to base their processes on. How happy they must have been to have him in their labs. Had they even realized what it was that they had? Thank goodness he had only been there a few months, not long compared to her own time and now even Remy's stay.

She paused at the doorway, laying her cell phone on the small table and staring at the man who'd fought for her, for their kind so much. She hadn't known before he disappeared exactly what he was doing but Henri and Mercy had filled her in as soon as they had had it confirmed that he was off radars. His face was scarred on one side and hands, arms bandaged. Everything else was hidden securely beneath the sheet. Stepping towards him quietly, she grazed a gentle, gloved hand over his face. Biting her lip, she felt the first hot tear form in her eye.

A bandaged hand on her gloved one, a whispered term of endearment and then the glowing red of loving eyes broke her from her thoughts.

"Chere…" His voice was husky and low from disuse, overuse, she couldn't tell and knew it could be either. She lowered her eyes, lowered her head, kissed the bandages on his hands before sitting in the chair beside his bed. Taking the water cup and straw from the nightstand, she brought the straw to Remy's lips and watched as he continued to stare at her as he drank. Finished, she replaced the cup and leaned her head against his torso while he gingerly lifted a hand to stroke her hair.

"Did it work? Dey all get out?"

"Yeah, the professor's next door, Logan's already healed and the others are being patched up by Beast."

"Dat was Henri on da phone non?"

Rogue lifted her head and found his eyes with hers. She nodded slightly and continued, "Your father will call back but Mercy and Henri send their love."

"Ah, chere, dere be more ta it dan dat but you be right. Remy don' want ta hear it right now. Right now, he only wants his Rogue near. So long without ya…"

Rogue gave a small smile, which he attempted to return. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern and her hand returned to his face. He didn't flinch but he watched her face carefully. "It be bad non?"

"Worse than it should have been Remy. You should have told me."

Her eyes spoke volumes and Remy had to close his to the vast emotion there. With a sigh, he opened his mouth to continue but was cut off by his girl's voice.

"But I know why you didn't. God, Remy why did it have to be like this. Worst fears and all that sugar. What they did to you…"

Remy shook his head as best he could from his position. "Chere, we both been dere. Remy'll survive, dere be plus finir. Da thought of ya mon amour, dat be getting dis Cajun through anything."

Rogue's heart was pounding hard and fast against her chest. She knew he must be feeling it all coming off her in waves. She could see it in his eyes, the notion that they were safe together, the need to be this way, close. She reached her gloved fingertips to her lips and kissed them. With a smile, she lifted the fingers to Remy's lips, to press the invisible kiss to them. Her smile brightened when he kissed her fingers back, his eyes dancing before her. Rogue took a deep breath and brushed the hair from around his face.

"Sleep Rems. You need it. I need you on this sugar."

Remy's eyes closed and with a small nod, he let his head fall back to the pillow. "I be here mon amour." She started to pull away to sit back in the chair and let him be, but he grasped her wrist in such a quick movement she hadn't thought him capable of it so soon. "Rogue, before, you tell Remy now ta tell ya but I must now. Je t'aime Rogue."

There was more behind the words, Rogue could feel the depth of the words hang in the room, enveloping her and warming her. Gulping, she was not surprised or taken off guard. The Rogue was once again not alone, her equal, partner, match lay before her, red eyes now searching hers. She would give him that reassurance. After everything, they were cut the same, molded the same, made to perfectly complement and care for one another.

"I love you too Remy."

The cocky grin she loved spread across his rugged face and she could see the glow renewed in him. The silence between them remained but words were simply not needed. Remy had survived the labs, had survived the escape and now his angel sat with him, watching over him. Now he could sleep, now he could rest and be prepared for what they knew they would face next. This woman before him was the strongest he had ever met and he knew now more certainly of her pain and of her strength. He felt his eyes betray him and begin to close but the sight of those green eyes reading him, feeling him, matching him, gave him the strength he needed to look past for the moment what he'd been through. There would be time for that and she would be there throughout he knew.

Rogue lay her head on the edge of his bed and Remy's expression turned peaceful as his hand rested on her hair and hers was gently folded against his side. Logan stopped at the doorway, Ororo standing just behind him. The pair stood, staring at their sleeping friend and her Cajun.

"I have never seen Rogue so at peace."

"They deserve it, all those two've been through. He's like her ya know…a bit dark, a lot of fight?"

"Logan, we all become darker with these times and the fight comes out in us. This is why we must protect them, each other. I fear this may just be the calm before the storm."

" 'Ro, let's get to our room, if this is the calm, darlin', we're taking it now."

Storm and Wolverine embraced briefly, a kiss to seal the promise of their future activities and away the couple went.

Remy's eyes fluttered open, taking in the empty room. Glancing at Rogue, he sighed reluctantly and closed his eyes again. The calm before the storm indeed…let the calm last a bit longer…the storm promised to be so forceful…

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